Packaging container particularly for rockets or rocket-like missiles



Feb. 4, 1969 v w. J. PETT ERS ET AL 3,425,586

PACKAGING CONTAINER PARTICULARLY FOR ROCKETS 0R ROCKET-LIKE MISSILES Filed March 11, 1966 Sheet of 5 FIG. I

INVENTORS. WILL! J. PETTERS CLAUS PETTERS BY #CZQgAJWG ATTORNEYS Feb. 4, 1969 w J. PETTERS ET AL 3,425,586

PAGKMfiNG COIiTAINER PARTICULARLY FOR ROCKETS OR ROCKET-LIKE MISSILES Filed. March 11. 1966 Sheet 2 of 5 'FIG. 5a

FIG. 7

INVENTORS.

WILLI J. PETTERS CLAUS PETTERS ATTORNm -Feb.4, 1969 w RS ETAL 5 3,425,586

PACKAGING CoN TAlNER PARTICULARLY FOR ROCKETS 0R ROCKET-LIKE MISSILES v Filed March 11, 1966 Sheet 3 r s 'lllllli'lll WILLI J. PETTERS CLAUS PETTERS ATTORNEYS INVENTORS.

United States Patent 3,425 586 PACKAGING CONTAINER PARTICULARLY FOR ROCKETS OR ROCKET-LIKE MISSILES Wllh J. Petters, Liebenau, and 'Claus Petters, Munich- Waldperlach, Germany, assignors to Dynamit Nobel Aktiengesellschaft, Troisdorf, Germany Filed Mar. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 533,502 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 24, 1965,

1) 46,881 US. or. 220-434 31 Cl Int. Cl. B65d 21/02, 11/10 alms ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The present invention relates to a packaging container having a cylindrical, prismatic, prismoidal or the like configuration with substantially rigid walls from wood, metal, plastic or the like, and with a tightly sealing cover. More particularly, the present invention relates to a single or a plurality of connected packaging containers for storing, shipping or firing missiles. For storage and transportation, many devices require a safe, torsionproof, tightly sealing andthus very expensive container. In this connection, it is a disadvantage that these expensive containers have to be discarded after a single use, because no further use exists for them.

For the above reasons, the present invention has an object to provide a packaging container which, after the use thereof for the intrinsic purpose of storage and transportation of a packaged material, may be employed for other purposes after minor modification.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a secure outside detachable connection between two like containers, each with at least one outwardly opening groove, recess or the like having a T-shaped, dovetailed or other corresponding double cross section having terminal ends of increased width.

Another object of the present invention is to provide containers with grooves for coupling together side by side in pairs, so that, for example, cylindrical containers, which cannot be used singly on water due to their tendency to rotate about their axis, may be utilized as either rafts, floating gangways or footbridges.

A further object of the invention is to provide containers, round or angular, having a groove for coupling together in the axial direction in any desired number to form columns, masts or the like, which may be renforced with cement, or the like and used as pipes for wells, emergency mains, etc.

An additional object of the present invention is to provide containers with a plurality of grooves, recesses or the like on at least two preferably opposite points to couple any desired number of containers together to form continuous interconnected protective walls, coverings, gangways, etc.

An additional object of the presentinvention is to provide grooves and rails, ledges, or the like as coupling elements -for packaging containers for storage and transportation of devices, etc., so that containers having a corresponding configuration may at all times be connected with one another in a space-saving manner and/or in such a manner that they have a suitable and sufiiciently 3,425,586 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 large common bearing area or supporting surface for storage, and smooth and safe transportation, to prevent for example, when transporting cylindrical containers on vehicles and possibly in the open field, the containers from rolling back and forth on the vehicle and possibly damaging high quality and sensitive packaged material.

Another object of the present invention is to provide containers with a unitary wall with a removable cover, and with a preferably identical bottom.

Another object of the present invention is to avoid any weakening of a container wall in the area of its coupling grooves, recesses or the like, particularly where the container wall is not sufficiently thick to allow grooves, by providing the container wall with reinforcements at the inside within the area of the grooves, and these reinforcements may simultaneously serve as guides, supports, or the like for the packaged article.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a container 'wall subdivided over its circumference into several like parts with their circumferentially directed ends and edges connected with each other by clamp-like connecting bars, rails, connecting pieces, connecting cans, or the like, adapted to be slid on the container wall parts to jointly form in cross section an outwardly open groove, so that the parts may be taken apart, after their use as transporting means, to store the individual parts in a space-saving manner until they can be used for another purpose at any desired subsequent time, such as for the preparation of sheet pilings or the like.

Another object of the present invention is to provide container wall parts of the above-mentioned type that in cross-section are provided with ends initially bent through 180 degrees of angle, and then another 90 degrees of angle in the opposite direction toward the container inside, and connecting bars, or the like of U-shaped profile with ends being bent-ofi inwardly about 90 degrees of angle for use as sheet pilings or containers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide container wall parts of the above-mentioned type with ends bent through 90 degrees of angle toward the container inside, and with rigid ledges attached at the inside spaced from the ends to jointly form with the bent ends a wedge-shaped gap tapered to open toward the free edge of the bent ends, and U-shaped connecting rails, pieces or the like with leg portions widened in a wedge-shaped manner toward the outside with a T-shaped groove formed between the legs, and if desired, with the web surface facing the container inside coordinated in a corresponding manner to the material that is to be packaged.

Another object of the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned connecting rails or bars, one or preferably opposite ones, with bores extending from both end faces of the container or one continuous bore to on the one hand, attach a container cover or container bottom by means of tie rods or the like, extending into the bores, and on the other hand, axially connect the container wall parts and the connecting rails by tie rods to form sheet piling of a height greater than the container height.

Another object of the present invention is to allow for an axial attachment of the containers, with the cover and/ or the bottom being on 'by forming the above- Inentioned container wall groove as a straight-lined extension of corresponding grooves in the cover and bottom, particularly at the outwardly positioned fiat side of the cover and bottom.

Another object of the present invention is to assure that the parts not needed for the normal transportation of of 'loss thereof, by providing simple corresponding receiving means for these parts disposed at the container inside.

The present invention has particular use in the packaging of rockets and missiles; therefore, this use will be described in detail only to illustrate a preferred embodiment. Other objects, features and advantages will be apparent from the accompanying drawing, wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates schematically several conceivable cross-sectional shapes of containers according to the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of a one-piece extruded container with guide rails, profiled grooves, and receiving apertures for a cover-plate lock or for tie rods, as a package for a rocket with a four-blade rigid tail unit;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the rear end of the packaging container, according to FIGURE 2, with the schematically shown rocket tail and attached I-shaped connecting bars therein;

FIGURE 4 illustrates the connection of two packaging containers, according to FIGURES 2 and 3, by means of I-shaped connecting bars;

FIGURES 5a and 5b show two views of one embodiment of a container cover;

FIGURE 6 illustrates one end of the container according to FIGURES 2 to 4 being closed by means of the cover of FIGURES 5a and 5 b;

FIGURE 7 shows a partial cross-sectional view of several interconnected modified containers of several parts releasably assembled;

FIGURE 8 illustrates the use of the parts, according to FIGURE 7, for making a sheet piling;

FIGURE 9 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the container for sliding thereon variable guide or supporting elements for the material to be packaged;

FIGURE 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the releasably assembled container;

FIGURE 11 is a partial cross-sectional view of a further embodiment of a one-piece container; and

FIGURE 12 is a partial cross-sectional view of several containers according to FIGURE 10.

The cross-sectional shapes for the container wall shown in FIGURE 1 are combinable in a articularly spacesaving manner to form groups of any number of connected containers. By employing an axially invariable cross section and a suitable material, the container may be prepared easily and simply by extrusion in any desired or required length. The latter is true of course for other imaginable cross-sectional shapes, which have not been illustrated, for example, for cylindrical tubes, etc. It is also possible to provide containers with a cross section that is conically tapered from one end to the other; a different method of manufacture must be employed.

The container of FIGURE 2, for a rocket with a fourblade rigid tail unit, comprises a container wall 1 having guide and reinforcing bars 2 for supporting and centering the rocket body (not shown) and outwardly opening T- shaped grooves 3, within the region of the guide bars 2. The bores 4, which may be formed either as blind-end bores or as continuous bores, receive the locking and/or centering pins of a detachable cover, or receive tie rods by means of which the covers may be clamped onto the container. The shape of the container will depend on the number of rocket tail unit blades, for example, the hexagonal cross-sectional configuration shown in FIG- URE 1 for a six-blade rocket.

In FIGURE 3, the rocket 5 is shown with its rear centered and guided at the circumference by the guide bars 2 in the container 1. The tail unit blades extend with play in the corner Zones of the container between adjacent guide bars 2. To connect the container 1 with further like containers, the I-shaped connecting rails or bars 7 are stored in the container until they are needed; they may be releasably stored between the blades 6 and the guide bars 2, by supporting means 7 of any suitable construction. The supporting means 7' may be clamps or the like disposed at the front and rear end-face side of the container at the guide ledges 2, or corresponding grooves for receiving the bars 7 in the sides of the guide ledges 2.

The container is suitablewith the use of an appropriate rmaterialnot only for storing and transporting a rocket, but simultaneously for firing the rocket with the grooves 3 and the connecting bars 7 affording the possibility of combining several containers to packet projectors. For the direct firing of the rocket and/ or rockets from the container and/or containers, the latter may be installed into correspondingly provided simple firing mounts.

In FIGURE 4, two like containers 1 are connected to gether by an I-shaped connecting bar 7. As will be readily understood, further containers 1 may additionally be connected, by means of further connecting bars 7, at each of the free sides of the two containers 1. It is furthermore readily apparent that, if the bar 7 projects beyond the end face of the two containers, further containers may be arranged in the axial direction to the two containers 1 and may be connected with each other by means of this projecting part of the bar 7. Analogously to the provision of containers side by side, the axial provision and connection of containers may be continued as desired.

Another possibility for the axial connection of any desired number of containers 1 is aiforded when the cover and, if desired, the bottom are constructed according to FIGURE 5, namely, when the cover and bottom, at an outwardly positioned fiat side, as well as the container wall 1 are provided with outwardly open T-shaped or otherwise shaped grooves 3, so that with the containers being placed upon each other, I-shaped connecting bars 7 may be inserted into the aligned grooves 3. Also, this may be done if only the cover is detachable, and the bottom is integral with the container wall, for example. Another reason for providing grooves 3 in the cover or bottom would be to prevent impairment of the insertion of connecting bars 7 into the grooves 3 of the container wall with cover or bottom being attached. From among the total of four pins, two opposite ones may be centering pins 8, whereas the two others may be locking pins 9 having burs or stop portions 10 for detachably holding the cover or the bottom in place on the container. The grooves 3 disposed at the outwardly positioned flat sides of the cover or bottom may be used for removably attaching handles, marking plates and the like for the transportation of the goods to be packaged.

One end of a closed container 1 is shown in FIGURE 6 illustrating that the grooves 3 provided at the circumference of the cover are arranged as straight-lined extensions of the grooves 3 of the container wall 1.

According to FIGURE 7, the container wall is circumferentially subdivided into four like parts 11, The ends 12 of the Wall 1a in the facing circumferential direction are bent about degrees toward the container inside. Rigidly attached at a distance from these bent ends are retaining ledges or the like 13 to form with the bent ends wedgeshaped gaps. Two adjacent parts 11 are clamped with one another by means of an essentially U-shaped rail 14. The parts 11 and the rails 14 form with each other the groove 3 opening toward the outside. Two adjacent containers are securely but removably connected with each other and held together by the inserted connecting bar 7. The rail 14 has axial bores 4:1 for receiving pins of the cover or bottom and, alternatively, continuous tie rods or the like. The cross piece or web portion of the rail is rounded; depending upon the nature of the goods to be packaged and depending upon whether this rail crosspiece or web portion is intended to serve as guide for centering or for supporting, a difierent configuration may be chosen.

The use of the container parts 11 and rails 14 for making zig-zag shaped sheet piling is apparent from FIGURE 8. In order to further improve the connection between the parts and thus the form stability of the sheet piling, additional means may be provided; for example, the hollow space 15 between the one leg portion of the rail 14, the end of the part 11, and the rail 13 could be filled with a correspondingly shaped ledge or the like. These additional ledges could be conveniently accommodated in the container and secured thereto so that they are available when needed.

A different embodiment is shown in FIGURE 9. The container wall 1b is provided, toward the container inside, with a bend 16 to form the outwardly opening T-shaped groove 3b. Slid upon the bend 16- is a U-shaped rail 17, which may be of different shape, particularly in the webside, depending upon the requirement of the article to be packaged, for example. The connection with another container having a corresponding configuration is accomplished by connecting rail 7. The circular are 18 indicates the circumference of the packaged article, for example, a rocket.

A further embodiment of a releasably assembled container is illustrated in FIGURE 10. The ends of the container wall parts 110 are bent over twice and are clamped together by the rail 170, the ends of the parts 110 and the rail 17c jointly form the T-shaped groove 3c. After the insertion of the connecting rail 7, the parts 110 and 170 are locked in the axially perpendicular direction.

A further embodiment for a one-piece container is shown in FIGURE 11. The wall 1d consisting of a corresponding number of container wall parts 19 is combined to a unit by the hollow rails 20 rigidly disposed at the inside, but the arrangement is made so that, for the passage of the cross-piece or web portion 21 of the connecting rail 7, corresponding slots are maintained in the wall 1d, as the hollow profile 20 is also provided with a corresponding slot. Here again, the shape of the hollow profile rail 20 may be chosen differently, depending upon the requirements of the packaged article.

Anchoring of several containers in accordance with FIG. is apparent from FIGURE 12. The shape of the profile rail 170 is chosen so that the inwardly positioned web surfaces 22 are positioned on a circle indicated by dashed lines which may correspond, for example, to the calibre of a rocket; the blades of the tail assembly may be arranged with play in the corner zones of the container.

It is understood that the features according to the present invention that have been described in regard to a quadrangular container cross section, may be employed in a corresponding manner for differently shaped container cross sections. Also it is understood that in the place of rockets or similar structures, completely different articles or the like may be packaged or accommodated in the container. It is readily imaginable, for example, that the goods to be packaged can be a material that is adapted to be poured. It is further conceivable as 'well as possible to provide a correspondingly good sealing of the container against moisture, in case this is deemed necessary or desirable.

We claim:

1. A packaging container, comprising: essentially inherently rigid limiting walls; means to securely and detachably connect a plurality of the containers including at least one outwardly opening groove in the outer portion of and extending substantially the entire corresponding dimension of one of said container walls having an inside cross section widening toward the container inside, and a separate rail having oppositely disposed sides, each side substantially corresponding in cross section to the cross section of said groove.

2. The packaging container according to claim 1, wherein said container walls are of an integral one-piece construction and including a removable cover and bottom.

3. The packaging container according to claim 2, wherein said one container wall has a major outside surface within a plane and is provided at the inside with a reinforcing means within the region of the groove; said groove being completely toward the inside of the container with respect to said plane.

4. A packaging container, comprising: essentially inherently rigid limiting walls; a tightly sealing cover; means to securely and detachably connect a plurality of the containers including at .least one outwardly opening groove in the outer portion of one of said container walls having an inside cross section widening toward the container inside, a rail having oppositely disposed sides corresponding in cross section to the cross section of said groove; said container Walls including a plurality of circumferentially adjacent like parts; clamp-like connecting rail means connecting said parts with each other operable to be slid on the adjacent ends of said container wall parts, and said connecting rail means being so shaped in the cross section that they form with said container wall parts said groove.

5. The packaging container according to claim 4, wherein said container wall parts viewed in the cross section thereof, have ends initially bent in a bulge-like manner through 180 degrees of angle and thereupon reversely about another degrees of angle toward the container inside, and said connecting rail means have U-shaped profiles with ends bend inwardly about 90 degrees of angle.

6'. The packaging container according to claim 4, wherein said container wall parts, viewed in the cross section thereof, have ends bent about 90 degrees of angle toward the container inside and ledges rigidly disposed at a distance from said ends at the inside forming with said ends toward the free edge of the bend ends wedge-shaped gaps, each of decreasing width, and said connecting rail means have U-shaped profiles with leg portions widening outwardly toward their free ends and a T-shaped groove positioned between leg portions.

7. The packaging container according to claim 6, where in said connecting rail means has a web portion connecting the leg portions and extending toward the container axis to form guide and transverse supporting means for the material to be packaged.

8. The packaging container according to claim 4, wherein two of said connecting rail means are spaced from each other, each having an axial bore extending inwardly from each of the two end'faces of the container ends.

9. The packaging container according to claim 5, wherein two of said connecting rail means are spaced from each other, each having an axial bore extending inwardly from each of the two end-faces of the container ends.

10. The packaging container according to claim 6, wherein two of said connecting rail means are spaced from each other, each having an axial bore extending inwardly from each of the two end-faces of the container ends.

11. The packaging container according to claim 7, wherein two of said connecting rail means are spaced from each other, each having an axial bore extending inwardly from each of the two end-faces of the container ends.

12. The packaging container according to claim 8, wherein one of said axial bores extends over the entire length of the container.

13. The packaging container according to claim 9, wherein one of said axial bores extends over the entire length of the container.

14. The packaging container according to claim 10, wherein one of said axial bores extends over the entire length of the container.

15. The packaging container according to claim 11 wherein one of said axial bores extends over the entire length of the container.

16. The packaging container according to claim 8, including means operable to securely and detachably close off both ends on the end faces including flat covers terminating flush with the container circumference along the edges thereof having centering and locking pin means mounted on the inner surfaces thereof operable to fittingly engage in said axial bores.

17. The packaging container according to claim 9, including means operable to securely and detachably close off both ends on the end faces including flat covers terminating flush with the container circumference along the edges thereof having centering and locking pin means mounted on the inner surfaces thereof operable to fittingly engage in said axial bores.

18. The packaging container according to claim 10, including means operable to securely and detachably close 01f both ends on the end faces including flat covers terminating flush with the container circumference along the edges thereof having centering and locking pin means mounted on the inner surfaces thereof operable to fittingly engage in said axial bores.

19. The packaging container according to claim 11, including means operable to securely and detachably close 011 both ends on the end faces including flat covers terminating flush with the container circumference along the edges thereof having centering and locking pin means mounted on the inner surfaces thereof operable to fittingly engage in said axial bores.

20. The packaging container according to claim 16, wherein one of said covers has a groove corresponding with and aligned with said groove in said container wall.

21. The packaging container according to claim 17, wherein one of said covers has a groove corresponding with and aligned with said groove in said container wall.

22. The packaging container according to claim 18, wherein one of said covers has a groove corresponding with and aligned with said groove in said container wall.

23. The packaging container according to claim 19 wherein one of said covers has a groove corresponding with and aligned with said groove in said container wall.

24. The packaging container according to claim 20, wherein said cover groove is provided on the outwardly positioned flat side of said one cover.

25. The packaging container according to claim 4, including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said connecting rail means.

26. The packaging container according to claim 5, including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said connecting rail means.

27. The packaging container according to claim 6, including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said connecting rail means.

28. The packaging container according to claim 7, including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said connecting rail means.

29. The packaging container according to claim 1 including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said rail.

30. The packaging container according to claim 2 including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said rail.

31. The packaging container according to claim 3 including means provided at the container inside for receiving and holding said rail.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,903,124 10/1959 Carver 206-3 3,000,134 10/1961 Marini 22023.4 3,338,452 8/1967 Oakley et al 22023.4

JAMES B. MARBERT, Primary Examiner. 

